Dorset Crime Rate October 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Dorset recorded 1,743 crimes in October 2025, equating to roughly one in every 224 residents—a figure that contextualises the scale of criminal activity in a region of 389,947 people. At 4.5 crimes per 1,000 residents, this rate is 41.6% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000, highlighting a consistent pattern of lower criminal activity in Dorset compared to the national picture. Violence and sexual offences dominated the crime profile, accounting for 39.1% of all reported incidents (682 cases), followed by anti-social behaviour (25.4%) and criminal damage and arson (6.9%). These figures align with Dorset's character as a mix of rural and coastal areas, where anti-social behaviour and property crimes may be influenced by seasonal factors such as darker evenings and Halloween. The month-on-month increase in violent crime is tempered by the fact that violence rates in Dorset remain 32% below the UK average, suggesting that local conditions—such as community cohesion or policing strategies—may contribute to this disparity. The seasonal context of October, with clocks going back and shorter daylight hours, may also explain fluctuations in certain crime types, though no direct causal link can be drawn without further analysis.

October saw a 61% increase in vehicle crime, rising from 41 to 66 incidents. This surge may partly explain the overall 11.5% monthly rise in Dorset's crime rate. Burglary also climbed by 29%, from 62 to 80 cases, though this remains 33% below the UK average of 0.3 per 1,000. Conversely, theft from the person fell by 60%, from 5 to 2 incidents—a drop that may reflect Halloween-related vigilance or changes in seasonal activity. Violence and sexual offences, the most common crime type, remain 32% below the UK average, at 1.8 per 1,000. Anti-social behaviour also saw a 13% decrease compared to the UK rate, with 443 incidents recorded. These patterns suggest a mix of localised factors, such as seasonal transitions, influencing crime trends in ways that diverge from national averages.

In October 2025, Dorset's crime rate rose by 11.5% compared to the previous month, moving from 4.0 to 4.5 crimes per 1,000 residents. This increase, while notable, remains significantly below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000. On a daily basis, 56 crimes were reported across the 31 days, a figure that contextualises the scale of activity in a localised perspective. Over the course of the month, one crime was reported for every 224 residents, a monthly aggregate that highlights the distribution of incidents across the population. This rate is lower than the UK average for nearly all crime categories, suggesting a broader pattern of lower criminal activity in Dorset relative to other areas. The increase from September may reflect seasonal factors such as darker evenings and Halloween, though no definitive causal link can be drawn without further data. The population-scaled perspective shows that Dorset's crime burden is proportionally lighter than the national average, even as local fluctuations occur.